Pediatricians and other medical experts discuss when a child needs attention from hospital staff

Source: U.S. News & World Report

Pediatricians and other health experts joined U.S. News & World Report for a Twitter chat this week to answer questions about when parents should take their son or daughter to the hospital. Each year, more than 23 million children age 15 or younger are taken to the emergency room, according to the National Safe Kids Campaign, an organization dedicated to the prevention of unintended childhood injury. Parents can do a lot to help keep their children out of the hospital, including updating safety measures at home as their children grow older and partnering with their pediatricians to devise a plan of action for children with particular medical conditions, like asthma or diabetes. Not all children who go to the emergency room need to be there. Many situations can easily be handled by a pediatrician during office hours, or treated at home using over-the-counter health products. Here is a guide to knowing how you should respond to issues from stomach pain to emotional trauma. Dr. Doug Diekema of Seattle Children’s participated in this chat.

Seattle Children’s provides healthcare without regard to race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry) or disability. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.